Amit Shah chairs security review meet: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, reviewed the security situation in the Union Territory ahead of the Amarnath Yatra which is set to begin on July 1, sources said.
J-K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, and top officials of the intelligence agencies, paramilitary forces, police and the civil administration participated in the meeting in Srinagar.
Shah took stock of the situation in the meeting. He was given a detailed briefing in which he was apprised about the situation along the International Border as well as the Line of Control, sources said.
Following the briefing, the Home Minister gave necessary directions to the security agencies to make sure that there is a peaceful atmosphere in the Union territory, they added.
The security review meeting came days ahead of the annual Amarnath pilgrimage. The 62-day-long annual pilgrimage will begin on July 1 and continue till August 31.
Shah's instructions for comfortable Amarnath pilgrimage
In June 9 meeting in the national capital, Shah said that the Narendra Modi government’s priority was to ensure a comfortable Amarnath pilgrimage. He had also directed the officials to make adequate security arrangements along the entire pilgrimage routes in Jammu and Kashmir.
The pilgrims are slated to travel through two routes - Baltal and Pahalgam - in Jammu and Kashmir.
Preparations for the Yatra
All the pilgrims will be given RFID cards so that their real-time location can be traced and everyone will be given Rs 5 lakh insurance cover. In 2022, 3.45 lakh people visited the holy cave and this year, the figure is expected to shoot up to 5 lakh, sources said.
The National Disaster Response Force has started identifying ideal locations for setting up pilgrim camps to avoid any incident like last year's flash flood which claimed 16 lives near the shrine. The aerial surveys may be conducted by a team with expertise in remote sensing and satellite, hydrology and disaster response.
“Once a dangerous water build-up is spotted, contingency measures will be taken along the pilgrimage routes, especially in the areas near the cave shrine,” sources added.
(With PTI inputs)
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